What's the Deal?
by homra-kid
Summary: Axel Scotts has been pinning after Namine Strife since his sophomore year of high school. Unfortunately for him, her twin brother, Roxas thwarts Axel's attempts of asking Namine out at every turn. Now that they're all seniors, Namine has had just about enough being single and tells her brother that she wants to give Axel a chance. Roxas says no, until Namine makes him a deal.


**What's the Deal?**

**Prologue **

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story they belong respectfully to Square Enix

**Warning:** Themes of shounen-ai/yaoi/homosexual relationships and whatever, you know all that good stuff, AU and also some mild OOC-ness and sarcasm... If any of this bothers you then you have the option of not reading.

**Summary:** Axel Scotts has been pinning after Namine Strife since his sophomore year of high school when she and her twin brother Roxas were first enrolled into the school. Unfortunately for him, Roxas' overprotective nature thwarts Axel's attempts of asking Namine out at every turn. Now that they're all seniors, Namine has had just about enough being single since well, forever and tells her brother that she wants to give Axel a chance. And what does Roxas say? **No**. That is until Namine makes him a deal.

**Pairings:** Axel x Roxas with hints of Axel x Namine

**Music:** "Danger" by f(x)

**A/N: **Here is another short Akuroku story for you guys (: I've planned it out for at least four or five chapters depending on how much I can squeeze in so it won't be too much of a mystery for how long it will technically be but we'll just have to wait and see how it goes. Updates will be slow unfortunately due to me going in for my second year of college T-T Sorry! I promise though, I will not let this story fall because I already completed the outline!

-x-x-x-x-

"Good morning Namine! You're looking more beautiful than ever today!" Axel chimed as he fell into step with the petite blond girl.

"Good morning to you too, Axel." She giggled, "Thank you very much for the lovely compliment."

"It was no problem at all, seeing as how_ very_ true it is."

This simple exchange between the boy and girl did not go unnoticed to the other boy on Namine's left, her older twin brother, Roxas.

'_Disgusting,'_ He thought. Just simply revolting, repulsive beyond all else, including the bowl of peachy vomit this morning that Cloud called oatmeal. If they continued on a minute longer, he was sure to gag right on the spot and throw up that said 'oatmeal' onto the floor just so Axel could slip in it.

Grumbling, the spikey blond haired senior instantly wore his usual glare, directing his narrowed blue eyes straight into the redhead's skull as the flirt made his sister giggle once more.

Weekday mornings had always been nothing but a chore, a ritual for the blond male some would say. Being in their second term of their senior year, Roxas really couldn't wait until graduation day in four months because after putting up with nearly two years of Axel Scotts unwavering flirtation towards his sister, he was about ready to just tear the guy and Destiny High School apart, all into ugly itty bitty, bloody pieces.

"So, I was wondering Nam—"

'_Nam! Only I can call her that!'_ Roxas screamed in his head.

"Tomorrow's Friday and if you're not busy I wanted to know if you'd like to—"

"No!" Roxas yanked his sister away from the redhead, effectively standing in between the two seniors now.

"I wasn't even asking you dude, I was talking to—"

"Shut up! Turn around and go! Leave, get out of my sight now!" Roxas retorted angrily, "She's not interested in whatever you have to say anyways!"

"Hey! Chill out man!" Axel shouted. Waving his hands in front of him, he stepped back to give the fuming blond male some room to breathe, "Jeez, I'll go… way to bite my head off, you asshole…" he muttered under his breath in defeat.

"That's right, good riddance to you too," Roxas huffed, his arms moving up to cross themselves tightly against his chest.

Watching Axel round the corner of the hallway, most if not all eyes from the other students in the vicinity settled upon Roxas now. Seeing that he was in the spotlight, the blond gritted his teeth as his glare deepened even more.

"What are you all looking at? Get to class!"

With that said the student body quickly animated themselves, moving swiftly and clumsily here and there so as not to further provoke Destiny High's number one hothead.

Yes, Roxas had a rather extreme reputation. The very moment he set foot on the school grounds and presented the student body with his signature stare, he made himself known that he was an individual that was not to be taken lightly. Handsome yet cold as ice, he was a dream come true to those girls who wanted to live the life of an Asian drama, where the girl turns the bad boy good and helps him see the light. Too bad, he burst their dream cloud on more than one occasion—all with a straight face and no remorse whatsoever.

Roxas wasn't a druggie or a bully—womanizing would be far down into the negatives on his list, meaning nonexistent and he didn't party or drink. No, he had a temper and was unrivaled when it came to brute of strength within the entire school. If it pissed him off enough, Roxas always made sure to make his short fuse known. Whether it's from having to watch the jocks beat up the nerds, a lover's spite made public in the hallways or verbal abuse directed towards him or anyone else, a simple glare or even a punch from him was always enough to get the problem solved as long as his temper could be quelled in the end.

When he actually did get into a fight, it never mattered to him if his opponents brought friends. One on one was an honorable match, three and five, even try ten— now that was a challenge, a test he welcomed with opened arms. And he tried it, he really did take the bait like a good fish caught on the line and in doing so, he hardly broke out in a sweat. No matter the quantity of people he had to shove around and step on into the dirt, Roxas could kick their asses around the world and back again, without any problems.

So, why is Roxas so strong, some would ask? Well, it's mainly due to the fact that his older brother Cloud and friend Tifa Lockhart gave him _special_ classes in self-defense during his earlier years in elementary and middle school. In reality his lessons were more like a game of sucking it up or else you're dead because when faced with the monstrous strength of Ms. Lockhart, one must learn how to survive. Either that or risk being killed from a single punch or kick because there is no such thing as a code of honor when you're up against a woman like the raging fists of fury, a master of martial arts, Tifa Lockhart.

It is due to all of these things which make Roxas so incredibly frightening to the entire student body. Grades ninth through twelfth can't help but tremble when they stand in his wake, yet at the same time they are just as enamored by his natural beauty despite it being a disguise that hides the true monster behind it. If he doesn't throw a punch at you, his glare and cold words are more than enough to send anyone running even pissing in their pants but it doesn't always work, especially on Namine and Cloud.

"Roxas!" Namine said sternly with her hands rested nicely at her hips.

"What?"

"I can't believe that you scared Axel away again!"

"Namine, I've been scaring him away from you since sophomore year, sophomore year!" Roxas yelled back at her.

"Roxas we're seniors now! How can you hold a grudge on a sweet guy like Axel for that long? I'd have thought that by now, you'd have gotten to know him and accept him! At least a little…"

"Pft, I know his type Nam. He just wants to get some and you're the perfect target! But too bad for him, I'm around to protect you and I'm not letting an idiot like him try to take my sister's innocence away!"

"Oh my god, do you hear what you're saying?" Namine groaned.

"I know perfectly well what I'm saying!"

"R-roxas! How would you know all he wants is to 'get some'?" she quoted with her fingers, "He might actually have real, genuine feelings for me. Did you ever take that into consideration?"

"No." Roxas admitted quietly before stepping it up to the plate, "Besides, I highly doubt he was even being 'genuine.'"

"Roxas! Argh—Don't twist my words around! I'm pretty sure he has real feelings for me and you know what? I might even have feelings for him too!"

"What! Are you kidding me?"

"No Roxas, I'm not..."

At this point Roxas' was blinking, trying to cement just what she was saying to him, "You have got to be kidding me! There is no way in hell that you are going to date that loon! I forbid it!" He pointed at her.

"Are you serious? You can't tell me what to do…" she replied, her blue eyes casting downwards. Pouting at her twin, Namine finally turned heel, leaving him behind in the dust to head off towards their first class without him.

Instantly Roxas' jaw dropped, watching her white heels click loudly in an angry manner against the tile floor. This just couldn't be happening. Even as he uttered out her name, the blond girl did not look back at him. She was giving him the cold shoulder and just like that he fell into her trap like a fly caught in a spider's web.

"Nam? Come on, can't you understand? I'm only telling you not to date him, just him and nothing else!" Roxas begged, pushing his legs forward to take longer strides in order to keep up with his twin.

Still, Namine refused to yield to him, her eyes looking remarkably presumptuous than usual and guarded against her twin's excuses. She didn't spare a second to glance at him then and even now as she entered their first class, AP Government. As always she took her seat in the third row next to the world map on the right side of the room, Roxas following steadily behind her to occupy the desk on her left.

"Nam? Please, just say something already. You can't ignore me all day."

She gave him no response, her gaze fixated solely towards the front of the room as the rest of the students began to file in.

"Damn it Nam, you're just so—"

"Good morning class."

"Good morning Mr. Rogers!"

Sinking into his chair, Roxas glared at the ceiling. He knew something bad was going to happen today, from the very moment when he woke up and fell out of bed he just knew.

AP Government was excruciatingly long and tedious. Rogers wasn't even funny no matter how hard he tried to crack a joke and just like last term, Roxas burrowed his face into the joint of his elbow and took a twenty minute nap. Namine never said a word to him, which only proved to discourage him even more. By the time the bell rang for second period, she was out of the room before Roxas could even stop her.

The next two classes were a blur to Roxas because the only thing on his mind was trying to talk to Namine. She rarely ever got angry with him, so having to put up with her giving him the cold shoulder was positively nerve wracking on his end. Okay, maybe he did deserve it, he thought while staring at the computer screen in the middle of third period in web design but she had to at least understand how wary Axel made him feel whenever the redhead approached her.

Once the bell for second lunch rang, Roxas was the first to bolt out of the room. He and Namine had second lunch together which was perfect especially at a time like this. With a maximum of thirty-five minutes until fourth period, it was just enough time for him to apologize to her. Even if it meant getting on his knees and begging for her forgiveness, he would do it but only if he had no other options left, of course.

It wasn't hard to find Namine much to Roxas' relief but seeing her talking to Axel again instantly made his blood boil. Stomping over to the pair, he attracted a few wandering eyes along the way, most of them silently giving prays to the targeted senior flirting with the female Strife.

"Hey! I need to talk to you, Nam!"

"Uh-oh…" Axel grimaced, "H-hey there, uh—Roxas…"

"Get lost Scotts." Roxas hissed through clenched teeth.

Swallowing hard, the redhead nodded quickly and scurried away like a beaten animal with its tail hanging between its legs. This made Namine glare at her brother but Roxas didn't care. Making a grab for her hand, he gripped it tightly and without another word to her, dragged her off towards the back doors to the outside lunch tables in the courtyard.

Once they settled themselves at the little table, Roxas dropped his backpack like a sack of potatoes to the ground next to his feet. Namine on the other hand, held her gaze to the side, avoiding her twin's intense blue eyes as she tried to rub the numbness away from her delicate fingers when Roxas had yanked her aside.

"Start talking, because I'm done with having to put up with your childish behavior." Roxas said sharply.

Wincing in her seat, Namine looked up at her brother daringly. The two sat there at the table across from each other—glare to glare. Unfortunately, Roxas had years of practice with his glowers, leaving his female counterpart to submit to defeat after having to put up with such a furrowing expression for five minutes.

"Your efforts were in vain Nam." He teased.

"Be quiet Roxas…"

"Pft, whatever." Clicking his tongue, he rolled his eyes. He was most likely making the situation worse in some way, he was sure but at the moment he was still mad—meaning he could really careless.

"I wish you'd stop trying to protect me sometimes." Namine sighed. This caught his attention.

"Namine, I'm your brother, it's my job to look out for you."

"I know that! But Roxas, I've been single all four years of high school!"

Roxas arched a brow, "So? What's your point?"

"Don't play dumb with me! Single! S-I-N-G-L-E! I have been single throughout my whole entire life!" Namine slammed her hands against the surface of the lunch table as she practically jumped out of her seat, "And who's to blame for it?"

"Cloud?" he asked meekly.

"No! You are Roxas! You!" She pointed at him this time.

If eating a can of worms or running barefoot across a road of hot coals was the only way for him to get out of an embarrassing situation like this, he would do it in a heartbeat. Sadly though, there were no such challenges offered in exchange to make his escape, leaving Roxas to sit there in his seat like a child being caught stealing from the cookie jar.

Adding more salt to the fresh wound, the volume of which his twin was speaking in, served to alert nearly everyone eating within their proximity. Sure, he knew he and Namine had attained many admirers over the last two years but during times like these he wished to god knows who, that they could shift the spotlight to someone else other than them for once.

"You have deprived me from having a potential boyfriend for years, Roxas!" Namine exclaimed. Taking in a deep breath of fresh air, she closed her eyes before settling back down.

Roxas had absolutely nothing to say, he was far too shocked and nervous now since everyone was looking in their direction. Oh how he wished he could just disappear or better yet, be shot dead on the spot if it meant not having to put up with Namine's mid teenage life crisis or whatever the hell she was going through.

"I know some of the boys you scared away were for a legitimate reason, like Seifer and Vanitas but Rox—I'm a senior in a high school, I've never even had my first official boyfriend, let alone my first kiss… Axel—Axel has liked me since we first enrolled here, I've had classes with him and he really is a nice person. But you, Roxas, you have yet to accept him and I can't handle it."

"Oh, ho, ho, you have a problem with me not accepting him?" Roxas grinned. Scooting in closer to Namine, he batted his eyelashes at her with false sense of innocence, "Well, let me tell you this, I will never accept him, ever."

"Oh, ho, ho," she mocked him, "Yes you will!"

"Oh? And how, Namine? What are you going to do to make me accept him?" he spoke in a low voice, enticing her, challenging her to try and speak up against him.

Namine beamed a not so innocent smile. The expression instantly made Roxas' insides coil back, feeling threated now since such a grin like that masked the truth so well but he refused to shy away.

It was then that Namine held up three fingers in front of his face, waving them about in a teasing manner. His eyes followed her slender fingers left and right but he couldn't quite grasp the idea she was presenting him. To this, he arched a brow and it served only to make his sister giggle knowingly.

"Three weeks." She said simply.

Blinking, he gave her a perplexed look, "You better elaborate on this because I'm not getting it."

That smile of hers continued on, "I want to date Axel but seeing as how unfair you've been treating him since day one, I'm giving you three weeks to go on three dates with Axel. "

Roxas didn't need any more information other than that in order for his mouth to gape open as he stared at his sister with disbelief. This had to be a joke, a really, really sick joke but the look on his twin's face told him otherwise.

"Are you fucking insane!" he screamed, "Why the hell would I do that?"

"I'm not finished talking!" she screamed back at him, "Look, by the time the three weeks are up, you'll give me a full assessment of Axel Scotts; the good the bad, everything. You're a good judge of character Roxas and if I like him enough, I get to date him and if I don't, well I just don't date him at all."

"Good judge of character? If you haven't forgotten, I hate Axel Scotts, end of story!" Roxas snapped.

"This is a chance for you to get to know him though!"

"Pft, what do I get out of it? Other than being tortured, all it's doing is benefitting you eighty percent of the time and breaking my perseverance to stay in control if I have to put up with Scotts." He replied, his teeth gritting tensely together, "I swear we'll have a body in the city morgue by the time the weekend is even over… And it's not going to be me!"

"That's easy, I won't talk to him. During the three weeks you assess him, I will_ not _speak a single word to Axel and I won't even spare a breath. You won't have to chase him away from me anymore because he'll be stuck with you and in the end if I do decide not to date him, I will never make contact with him ever again. Does that satisfy you?" she relied while wearing a straight face.

"You won't talk to him?"

"Nope."

"Not for a second?"

"Nope."

"Even if he follows you, you _will _promise to keep walking and not pay him any heed?"

"Yes!"

"Okay then…" Roxas said slowly, his voice hesitant and wavering about.

The blond male was thinking. It was a fifty-fifty chance really, that things would be in his favor, which was having Namine not date Axel at all yet on another note she could still possibly choose to date Axel in the end. His twin sister still did have a point though, that she had relatively no experience whatsoever when it came to the opposite sex. Hell, even he never bothered to interact with girls either but he didn't care and another thing to remember was that this was for Namine's happiness—and that was something he just couldn't let go to disappointment.

Seeing the contemplative look adorned on her brother's face, Namine knew that Roxas had fallen. It was perfect.

"So, do we have a deal?" Namine asked, her blue eyes glinting as she held up her pinky to him.

She was baiting him, Roxas thought. Sighing heavily, he stared at her for another moment longer, his lips shrinking into a childish pout before he stuck out his hand to hers and slowly wrapped his own pinky around the offered finger.

"Deal…" he said solemnly.

"Alright then, now that, that is settled, I want you to tell Axel about our plan after school. Since you two are in the band room together for fourth period, it'll be easy for you to take him aside."

"Fine whatever…" Roxas hissed, "Damn it Nam, you owe me for this!"

"I know."

"You better appreciate what I'm about to put myself through for you, because believe me this is going to be three long agonizing weeks of hell for me. And the worst part is, I'll be spending that time being tortured alongside Axel Scott!" he groaned loudly, his head falling forward until it hit the surface of the table with a rough thud.

"Oh Roxas please, it won't be that bad. Just think, three weeks really isn't that long and before you even know it, it'll be over in a snap!"

To that, Roxas banged his head three more times.

* * *

**A/N: **Yeah this was a shorty, I'm sorry ): I wanted to go in more but I decided that it was a better idea to introduce the deal first instead of packing in the date and stuff. Y'know? This story has a bit more of a sarcastic flow to it, I only use it when I'm writing papers and essays for class but I wanted to experiment by seeing how it'd work in my creative writing. Anyways, please tell me your thoughts, concerns? Grammar mistakes I may have missed? :3 Yup! Thank you for taking the time to read this little tid bit! ^-^


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